Demystifying Evidence-Based Treatments
What are evidence-based treatments (EBTs)?
Evidence-based treatments are those that have been found to be effective through numerous, rigorous clinical trials.
EBTs at The Kintsugi Practice
Below are brief descriptions of some of the evidence-based treatments that I utilize in my practice. Please note: this is to help you get an idea of what therapy might look like and is for general information purposes only (and not an exhaustive list!). I develop a unique treatment plan for each client that is specifically tailored to your needs and may incorporate elements below and others not described here.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Considered the "gold standard" for treating OCD, ERP helps you break free from the cycles of fear and compulsions (that actually only serve to feed OCD and make it stronger). In ERP, we would work on helping you gradually face your fears (at a collaborative and thoughtful pace!) and learning to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort without getting pulled into the rituals, avoidance, and reassurance-seeking that OCD wants you to engage in.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT): I-CBT is a relatively newer evidence-based treatment for OCD that helps you strengthen trust in yourself and your direct, present experiences instead of getting pulled into OCD's endless cycles of doubt and "what if" thinking. It helps you discover and identify the moments in which OCD confuses hypothetical “what if” scenarios with proven facts, leaving you to doubt your own experiences and what you already know to be true.
Prolonged Exposure (PE): PE is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that helps you gently and gradually face memories, situations, or experiences that you may have been avoiding due to a past traumatic experience. Through this gradual process, you reduce the power that difficult memories and emotions have over you.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): CPT is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD and trauma that helps you understand how traumatic experiences have shaped the way you think about yourself, others, and the world. We would work on processing these experiences together and making sense of them in new ways in order to get you “unstuck” and able to move forward with more flexibility and hope.
Habit Reversal Training (HRT): HRT is a CBT-based approach that helps you build greater awareness of your body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), such as hair pulling and skin picking. In building your recognition of your own patterns and practicing alternative ways of responding, we can gradually reduce the frequency of these body-focused repetitive behaviors and help you feel more in control.
Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB): ComB is an evidence-based treatment for BFRBs built upon HRT that helps you identify why you engage in certain body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g., is it triggered by a particular emotion, physical sensation, thought?). By understanding your specific reasons for engaging in these behaviors, we can work to reduce their frequency and substitute them with healthier actions.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): Considered one of the "gold standard" treatments for PTSD/trauma for children and teens, TF-CBT helps families process difficult, traumatic experiences and supports them in building skills for healthier coping and resilience.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): Backed by decades of research, PCIT helps parents and children build stronger relationships and navigate behavioral challenges together. Parents learn practical skills to create more positive interactions, increase cooperation, improve communication, and reduce family stress.
